Eat your way into shape

In a study at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, two groups of overweight women were put on a 5000-kilojoules-a-day diet. The first group divided the kilojoules between lunch and dinner, while the second group ate breakfast as well as lunch and dinner. After 12 weeks, the breakfast eaters on average had lost 7.7kg, while women who skipped breakfast had lost 5.9kg.

Hunger increases the longer you go without eating. A solid breakfast helps keep cravings at bay. According to psychologists, two brain chemicals, cortisol and adrenaline, give us a sense of control. These levels peak soon after we wake up, giving us the confidence to stick to our diet goals.

As the day progresses, these chemicals take a dive, along with our resistance to the cakes and biscuits that float dangerously around the office.